Private school first in Ontario to axe internet for fears wifi hurts students

Pretty River Academy, a private K-12 school in Collingwood, has axed the wifi it previously offered to its 150 students. It is the first school in Ontario to be this dumb.

Over the summer, Pretty River took out its wifi system and replaced it with ethernet connections before school started this week. The move was not as a result of complaints for students or parents, none of whom expressed any fear over wifi. But the school said its cautious approach was "proactive" in regards to its students safety.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario voted last year to keep wireless internet and Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health said wifi poses no threat to children at schools.

However, a group dubbed the Safe Schools Committee has continued to push for a ban, claiming exposure to wifi causes headaches in students that subside on weekends and vacations and return when kids go back to school. (Um, yeah… it's called kids don't want to go to school.)

Moral of the story? Don't stay inside Starbucks, McDonald's, or your house, and don't go to school or work either—wifi hurts.

Knowlton Thomas

Knowlton is the managing editor of Techvibes.
Based in Vancouver, Knowlton has been published in national publications and has also appeared on television and radio.
Previously he was an editor for New Westminster weekly The Other Press and served on its board of directors.
When not working, Knowlton enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and martial arts.
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